What Are Toxins? A Detox Definition You Can Understand

Cara HebertApril 6, 20160

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Detox diets are nothing new, but over the past few years they’ve surged
into an uncontrollable fad. From juice cleanses to pills and powders,
the detox definition has grown so much that it has warped into something
almost completely unrecognizable. Ads and celebrities are constantly
touting the latest detox method that, “really works!” Even exercise
regimes are getting on board with “sweating out the toxins.” However,
most of these options never address what toxins are and why they’re
harmful to your system. Without a thorough understanding of the toxin
definition, how can you really measure whether a detox is helpful or
harmful? Or if it’s doing anything at all? So before you waste your
money on a fad, let’s take it down to the nuts and bolts and answer the
question, “what are toxins?” and define what
“detoxing” really means.

What are toxins?

The language surrounding what toxins are is purposely vague. The
Merriam-Webster toxin definition states:

“A toxin is a poisonous substance that is a specific product of the
metabolic activities of a living organism and is usually very unstable,
notably toxic when introduced into the tissues, and typically capable of
inducing antibody formation.”

Simply put, a toxin is harmful matter. The reason for this ambiguous
language is due to the many types of toxins, all with different and
potentially detrimental effects. For the purpose of clarity and
consistency in our detox articles, we break down toxins into three
categories: internal toxins, external toxins, and toxic behaviors.

Internal Toxins

The human body is an amazing place. It’s self-defending, self-repairing
and self-poisoning. We naturally produce internal toxins simply by
functioning. However, our bodies also have automatic processes in place
to rid our bodies of these natural toxins and prevent build up.

Our bodies are constantly burning energy in order to rebuild tissue and
replace worn out, dying cells. Because of this overwhelming task, our
bodies are also creating a fair amount of waste, or internal toxins,
which we must break down, recycle and eliminate.

Where toxins become dangerous is when this waste accumulates. Because
our bodies are always producing toxins, they never get a break to
address the toxins that have built up. Instead, they’re tossed to the
side, where they’ll sit and cause damage to surrounding organs and
cells. Without help, these toxins clog your system and force your body
to spend more energy to simply function. Things that may affect your
internal toxin levels can be as basic as everyday medications. For
example, proton pump inhibitors like antacids can slow digestion and
lead to a reduced ability to absorb vitamins. Long-term use of Tylenol
can prevent liver detoxification and is known to be one of the leading
causes of liver failure.

Signs of built up internal toxins include:

Chronic infections such as chronic sinusitis or dysbiosis of the
intestinal tract.

Allergic reactions, both immediate and delayed. The most common
delayed sensitivities are to gluten, dairy, eggs and corn.

Elevated liver enzymes.

External toxins

If our bodies are such well-oiled machines then why are we so toxic? The
simple answer is because our bodies aren’t the only toxin producers.
External toxins are the toxins outside of our bodies that can be
ingested or absorbed. If you only listen to your favorite celebrity
health experts, you might think toxins are only in your food. With so
much focus on GMO’s and high fructose corn syrup, the everyday products
filled with toxins are overlooked. External toxins can be found in
everything from your daily deodorant to even your drinking water.
Examples include:

Mold: Inhaled during exposure to improperly ventilated rooms such as
bathrooms or basements.

Poor air quality: Inhaled during exposure to rooms or buildings with
poor ventilation or poorly maintained air filters. This can also
lead to “Sick Building Syndrome,” in which building occupants
experience a range of symptoms from migraines to respiratory
problems, but no illness can be identified.

Contaminated food and water

Chemicals found in household cleaners or pet products.

Bisphenol A and Phthalates found in soft plastics.

UV radiation

Toxic Behaviors

As we said earlier, toxins come in a variety of shapes and sizes. While
most view the toxin definition to only include physical elements, your
actions and behaviors can also lead to increased toxins. For example,
contact with harsh
chemicals is
obviously bad, but you probably don’t think twice about staying late at
work to finish a project. These small behaviors add up and can lead to a
significant change in your health.

Exposing yourself to stressful situations on a regular basis can be as
detrimental as taking Tylenol everyday. While it’s normal to feel
stressed every now and then, excessive stress can lead to an unhealthy
diet and overeating, mental health issues such as anxiety and
depression, and lethargy. The American Psychological Association’s 2015
annual “Stress in America”
report
suggests a strong correlation between stress and chronic illness.
According to the report, “Money and work remain the top two sources of
very/somewhat significant stress, but this year, for the first time,
family responsibilities emerged as the third most common stressor (54
percent).”

Key takeaways from the report:

The majority of adults report having at least one chronic illness
(67 percent).

More than 10 percent of adults report having a mental health-related
diagnosis (13 percent for anxiety disorder and 16 percent
for depression).

About two in five adults report overeating or eating unhealthy foods
in the past month due to stress.

Since a leisurely spa day isn’t always possible, it’s important to
identify the stressors in your life and create a plan to handle them.
The solution may be as simple as 20 minutes of quiet time to decompress
when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Additional Toxic Behaviors:

Overeating or an unhealthy diet

Excessive use of alcohol or other drugs

Smoking

Lethargy

Lack of self-control

What is a detox?

Now that we’ve covered the full toxin definition, hopefully the idea of
a detox should be a little clearer. The Merriam-Webster detox definition
is pretty straightforward:

“Detox: to remove a poisonous or harmful substance.”

As stated earlier, your body has natural processes in place to remove
waste and toxins. So, what’s the point of a “detox diet?” Let’s start
with how your body works.

Your body has two main organs that are responsible for detoxing your
entire body - the liver and the kidneys. These organs act like filters
to separate the toxins from other useful nutrients.

The Liver

The liver uses a two-step process and is your body’s first wave of
defense against toxins. First, “phase 1” enzymes transform fat-soluble
toxins into an intermediate toxin. Intermediate toxins are actually more
hazardous to our bodies as they’re in an unstable form. Next, “phase 2”
enzymes convert the hazardous intermediate toxin into a water-soluble
toxin so that it can be pushed along and ultimately excreted.

Because the liver disposes of toxins in two separate phases there is the
potential for imbalance. To best illustrate why this can cause problems,
think of your liver as a toy factory with two connected conveyor belts –
the first for assembling the toys, the second for packaging the toys. If
the first conveyor belt is assembling the toys faster than the second
conveyor belt can package them, then there’s going to be trouble. In the
case of your liver, instead of a build up of toys between the conveyor
belts, it’s the highly concentrated intermediate toxin, which can react
and damage DNA.

The Kidneys & Gastrointestinal tract

After the liver creates the new water-soluble toxin, it pushes the toxin
on to the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. This is where things get
complicated, so we’ll revert to the previous analogy. The liver factory
has packaged the toys into a form (water soluble toxin) that meets all
of the requirements for the post office to ship (the right form for
excretion). The post office puts the package onto a truck and sends it
out on the road (the gastrointestinal tract). If everything goes
smoothly, the package will be delivered and the toy is no longer the
company’s property (the toxin is carried out through urination).

However, if along the way, the truck encounters multiple storms (the
billions of unhealthy bacteria that exist in your digestive tract)
things may go wrong. The package may get damaged along the way (the
ratio of healthy to unhealthy bacteria is off) and have to be returned
to the factory for repackaging. This damage occurs when unhealthy
bacteria transform the water-soluble toxin into a state that can be
reabsorbed by your body. The toxin must then travel through the liver
all over again in order to be repackaged.

Reinforcements

Though as we said before, the body is an amazing place. When the liver
and kidneys get overwhelmed, they call in for reinforcement from your
backup detox organs, including your large intestine, lungs, bladder and
skin. Since detox isn’t the primary function for these organs, your body
must divert extra energy for them to handle the added responsibility.
However, too much added work can cause stress and lead to reduced
effectiveness and allow toxins to build up over time, damaging cells and
tissue. This can result in symptoms such as skin irritations, cysts,
benign tumors, asthma, or arthritis.

Detox Diets

The purpose of a detox program is to support your liver and kidney
functions in order to prevent any sort of imbalance or buildup. While
some workouts may boast that they’ll help you “sweat out the toxins,”
the most effective way is to start from the inside out. Certain foods
and even clays break down more effectively than others and contain
enzymes that bind to toxins and carry them through your digestive tract,
easing the burden on your liver and kidneys.

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Cara Hebert

Cara Hebert is a writer who received her BFA from Boston University. An avid traveller and citizen of nowhere and everywhere, Cara has lived all over the world including North Carolina, London, Massachusetts, Maine, Georgia, Illinois, and Connecticut. She began her career working at a newspaper and has since transitioned into the freelance market. Having been raised by a vegetarian mother who despised sugar and GMOs, Cara has always been interested in sharing the knowledge of healthy living. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her hanging out with her three dogs.